[Travel] First and last flights

Spiros · Jan 22, 2021

First flight was in the late 70's on some small 2-seater plane at Ford airfield with a friend of my Mum who was just looking to get more hours in. He even let me take the controls for a while which was great
First proper flight in 1980 on a Laker Skytrain from Gatwick to JFK - I was in a touring junior orchestra going to the US for 3 weeks
Most recent flight - March 2020, Valencia to Gatwick, days before things got Covid ugly

Cowfold Seagull · Jan 22, 2021

Icy Gull said:
Turbo props too

View attachment 132817

The problem was, as your pic highlights perfectly, that the Britannia was a turbo prop that was introduced at the beginning of the jet age. The Alitalia nd KLM aircraft pictured next to it are both DC8's, faster and much more fuel efficient. Propeller powered airliners were dead in the water from a commercial point of view unfortunately.

Juan Albion · Jan 22, 2021

First flight: probably the trip on a Sea King from Biggin Hill to, er, Biggin Hill. Late sixties sometime.
Last flight: Bali to Toronto via Taipei, EVA Air. November 2019.

Tim Over Whelmed · Jan 22, 2021

lawros left foot said:
It did rattle a bit.

And the noise, ear defenders , all the way.
I was shocked when I flew first time on a commercial flight, how quiet it was.

When I was a Cpl working in the MoD we had to fly to NATO HQ in Brussels and flew from RAF Northolt on the Queen's Flight (Andover?), superb flight but seemed odd with the RAF's finest running around with tea and sandwiches and me sat there with the top brass tucking into it all!

Icy Gull · Jan 22, 2021

Cowfold Seagull said:
The problem was, as your pic highlights perfectly, that the Britannia was a turbo prop that was introduced at the beginning of the jet age. The Alitalia nd KLM aircraft pictured next to it are both DC8's, faster and much more fuel efficient. Propeller powered airliners were dead in the water from a commercial point of view unfortunately.

Indeed, They had a long run for a plane that soon became outdated. Commenced in 1957 and the last BOAC one was retired in 1975, well into the age of the jetliner

cheshunt seagull · Jan 22, 2021

First I can remember would have been Helsinki to Heathrow in 1964. The last was Larnaca to Heathrow Feb 2020.

blue'n'white · Jan 22, 2021

First Gatwick to Athens 1981 can't remember which airline - possibly British Caledonian
Last Gran Canaria to Gatwick March 2020 with TUI

Cheshire Cat · Jan 22, 2021

First - Dan Air, Manston to Paris, 1973, from a grass airstrip in a Sopwith Camel.

BlockDpete · Jan 22, 2021

First flight must have been late 70's , Biggin Hill pleasure flight probably in a Cessna, when I was in the Cubs. Sat next to the pilot, who asked me to hold the passenger door shut on landing.

Last flight was Gatwick to Gran Canaria last Feb with EasyJet. Just before covid kicked off, but still got delayed for 2 days going out, due to sand storms. Ended up spending 2 nights in Crawley hotels.....

Cowfold Seagull · Jan 22, 2021

BlockDpete said:
Last flight was Gatwick to Gran Canaria last Feb with EasyJet. Just before covid kicked off, but still got delayed for 2 days going out, due to sand storms. Ended up spending 2 nights in Crawley hotels.....

Well at least you got a two centre holiday out of it!

DudsFarm · Jan 22, 2021

Heathrow to Delhi via Damascus 1973 with Syrian Arab Airm memorable for takeoff from Damascus with passengers sitting on the aisle floor

Perth to London via Doha April 2020 with Qatar, memorable for the crew in hazmat suits

PTC Gull · Jan 22, 2021

First. March 1958 RAF flight from Brize to Aden in Yemen for my Dads posting. Think a Beverly aircraft was involved but not sure. I was 6 months old at the time.
Last. Dec 2019 LHR to Houston via Atlanta. I was much older at the time!

BlockDpete · Jan 22, 2021

Cowfold Seagull said:
Well at least you got a two centre holiday out of it!

True, but I actually live in Crawley, so couldn't wait to get away.....

At least the Aurora and Copthorne were reasonable places, and EasyJet paid for everything....except booze.

Cowfold Seagull · Jan 22, 2021

Loving this thread, I can indulge my love of civil aviation!

Cowfold Seagull · Jan 22, 2021

BlockDpete said:
True, but I actually live in Crawley, so couldn't wait to get away.....

At least the Aurora and Copthorne were reasonable places, and EasyJet paid for everything....except booze.

So not only a two centgre holiday, but all-inclusive too!

Blimey, some people you just can't please. :facepalm:

dazzer6666 · Jan 22, 2021

1985 (July) - Gatwick to Monastir, Tunisia (aged 19...first real holiday with the GF......awful food, weather too hot).
2020 (Feb) - Hong Kong to Heathrow (at the end of a 3 week multi-centre holiday just as Covid was starting to really bite)

StonehamPark · Jan 22, 2021

First one would have been Gatwick to Majorca, Ibiza or a Canary Island (can't remember which), early 90's.
Most recent was Saskatchewan to Vancouver after a 10 day road trip through the prairies, September 2020.

Some of my favourite flights:

Dubai to Brisbane, Business Class on Emirates (free upgrade), luxurious.
London to Newark, Delta(?), flying over the skyline of Manhattan at night for the first time, amazing.
Vancouver Waterfront to Victoria, Vancouver island on a seaplane. Stunk of fuel and cramped as hell, but very cool right over the water.

Scariest flight:

Auckland to Bangkok, flying right through a lightning storm into Bangkok, terrifying.

Swansman · Jan 22, 2021

First fight when I was seven, a girl teased me about being in love with another girl and I hit her on the nose.

Last fight when I was nine, I hit my teacher with a trashcan.

Then got expelled from my school and placed in a small rural special school that treated violent kids and they knew how to kill off my very short, hot temper.

Since then nothing though I once a few years ago smashed (softly) the head of a guy against a wall because he was flipped out on PCP and tried to rip my clothes off.

wellquickwoody · Jan 22, 2021

GT49er said:
Never flown. Don't expect I ever will.

Is that through circumstance or conscious decision?

Icy Gull · Jan 22, 2021

Cheshire Cat said:
First - Dan Air, Manston to Paris, 1973, from a grass airstrip in a Sopwith Camel.

I am old enough to remember when getting a joy ride flight in a Sopwith Camel wasn’t that hard or expensive! Never did it though

As a 10 year old I did get a ride with a bonkers hedge hopper army pilot in a two seater glass fronted helicopter, both terrifying and thrilling at the same time. Will remember it as the biggest adrenaline rush I’ve had until I die!

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[Travel] First and last flights

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